Surgical consoles generally include, among other things, a tray configured to articulate with respect to a console. One or more interconnected arms coupled to the tray are selectively secured in place via a locking mechanism, such as a gas spring or the like. During use, the tray is configured to remain horizontal, and the operator manually engages or disengages the locking mechanism to reposition the arms and tray in the desired position.
Known surgical consoles are unsatisfactory in a number of respects. For example, the use of gas springs typically requires incorporating some form of release mechanism, such as a release cable, between the tray and the gas spring. Such release cables often restrict the movement of the tray and arms, as they cannot generally accommodate a wide range of tray positions, and thus can easily become tangled in the arms and related interconnects.
Furthermore, as conventional tray systems maintain the tray in a generally horizontal position, the storage and transport of such surgical consoles can be difficult, as the tray extends a significant distance outward from the console in an unlocked position. This results in a non-compact and difficult-to-transport configuration.
Moreover, the various hinges and interconnects used in conventional surgical console arm assemblies tend to allow the tray to swing outward with very little resistance, and are often ineffective in keeping the tray in a specific desired location and orientation. In addition, such conventional hinges are subject to hysteresis. That is, they tend to exhibit a lag in response to applied force.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide articulatable surgical tray assemblies that allow an increased range of motion, can be more easily stored and transported, have improved hinge mechanisms, and incorporate cable release mechanisms that allow for a greater range of tray rotation. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.